The present invention relates to an illumination device for use on a motor vehicle for better visibility thereof during the daytime.
During the daytime hours, drivers of motor vehicles ordinarily do not use their headlights because sunlight is sufficient to illuminate the path of travel. It is often difficult, however, for other vehicles to see the vehicle during these hours because of the glare of the sun and due to the inattentiveness of many drivers. This is especially true of motorcycles in that, because of their smaller size as compared to cars, it is easy for other drivers not to see them at all. Thus a better method of daytime illumination for all motor vehicles, and particularly motorcycles, is desired.
There are various attachments to headlights to change the illumination thereof. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 1,199,534 to Ernst discloses using colored distendable sacks which are filled to dim the lights or which can be colored to provide a signal. U.S. Pat. No. 2,119,370 to Van Leunen discloses a lens unit which employs a series of shutter plates and rib-like refracting lenses located between the front lens and the light source to reduce glare and permit selective dimming of the light. U.S. Pat. No. 2,699,536 to Roth et al discloses a light system for a train which utilizes a series of movable lenses which can be adjusted to change the size of the light beam, the intensity of the beam and the direction of the beam. Additionally, a colored lens such as a red lens can be employed as a signal. These devices, however, do not sufficiently improve the illumination of the headlight so as to improve visibility during the daytime. Moreover, the overall size and complexity of these devices make them impractical to install as part of a headlight assembly of a vehicle.